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• Board Meeting Date: 5/21/2008
• Description: IWMD Section - Presentation of Agricultural Water Conservation Paper
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

Section 7
Future Considerations
The f ollowing points are considerations related to the implementation of agricultural
water conservation and of ficiency measures. These are presented by the Colorado Ag
Water Alliance as a starting point f or f urther dialog. It is important to note that any
successful implementation of these measures is only one component in meeting
Colorado's f uture water needs. The better use of existing surf ace and groundwater
storage resources and the development of new storage to meet future demands and
for drought years will also be required to meet both existing agricultural shortages
and future M&I demands.
1. Each agricultural operation and basin is unique and has unique water
management considerations. As such, thoughtful consideration should be made of
the effects of implementing agricultural water conservation measures, either at the
farm scale or basin-wide scale.
2. Incentives f or on-farm implementation of conservation measures should be
considered and evaluated in the context of compacts and basin hydrology.
3. Incentives for landowner control of phreatophytes, given salvaged water
limitations, should be developed.
4. To help create incentives for implementing water conservation measures, the cost
of water conservation measures should be borne by the beneficiaries of the
conserved water. The agricultural user is unlikely and/ or unable to bear the costs
if the benef its only accrue to improved stream f low, water quality, or the basin as
a whole.
5. It must be recognized that if irrigation water conservation measures are
implemented, in some areas there will be a periodic need for salinity leaching to
maintain productivity.
6. There is a need f or clearer statutory definitions of saved, salvaged, and conserved
water.
7. There is an opportunity f or statutory clarification of the legality to transfer
conserved CU water.
8. If legislation is enacted, the state will need to develop administrative means to
track and allocate conserved water and ensure compliance.
9. There is a need for irrigation water conservation demonstration and pilot projects
in each basin.
10. There is a need f or a more thorough analysis of the impact of widespread
adoption of sprinkler and drip irrigation systems in Colorado.
DRAFT 7-1